Conn. Senate votes to raise minimum wage

The Senate voted 21-to-15 on Thursday to increase the current wage of $8.25 an hour to $8.70 on Jan. 1, 2014. It would increase to $9 on Jan. 1, 2015. The last increases occurred in 2010.

The bill, which moves to the House of Representatives, mirrors what the governor said he'd support. An earlier bill proposed larger increases. And unlike that bill, the legislation does not link future increases to Consumer Price Index.

While proponents said the increase will help people struggling to make ends meet by stringing together a couple of minimum wage jobs, opponents warned it could hamper job growth by discouraging small businesses from hiring.

Some Republicans warned the bill will hurt students looking for summer jobs.